A condensation product of glucose and sorbitol is recognized as a suitable bulking agent suitable for use in an admixture with formulated foods, such as cakes, candy bases, preserves, puddings and the like. Bulking agents may be used alone, but often are employed with low-calorie, high-intensity, artificial sweetener products, to render the bulking agent effective and generally as sweet as sucrose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,290 discloses the preparation of bulking agents by the reaction of glucose and sorbitol in the presence of an acidic ion-exchange resin, such as a sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene resin. After separation of the inedible ion-exchange resin, the major product produced is glucosylsorbitol. The use of the ion-exchange resin requires purification procedures, such as neutralization and separation steps, prior to the production of the bulking agent. Typically, the use of strong acid, inorganic or monocarboxylic acid results in an undesirable inedible reaction product.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,165 relates to the preparation of polymerized polysaccharides in an anhydrous melt polymerization process employing edible acids as catalysts and cross-linking agents. The polymerized glucose-polymers with sorbital terminating groups produced are characterized by high molecular weights: for example, an average molecular weight of 6,000 to 36,000.